Method of sewing buttons on sack coat sleeves



July so, 1968 y B. BROWNSTEIN 3,394,407

METHOD OF SEWING BUTTONS ON SACK COAT SLEEVES Filed April 5, 1966 IN VE N TOR.

BEA/f4M/A/ EROh/A/JfZ/A/ United States Patent 3,394,407 METHOD OF SEWING BUTTONS ON SACK COAT SLEEVES Benjamin Brownstein, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Jofe Corp., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 540,348 Claims. (Cl. 2-93) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Cuff-buttons of mens and boys sack coats are machinesewn to and through only the flap provided by the top sleeve for the sleeve vent, preferably after the sleeve is otherwise finished. Provides the economy of machine sewing but the effective detail and freedom of lining from sleeve achieved in hand tailoring in which buttons are sewn to the outer shell only of the sleeve vent.

This invention relates to a method of ornamenting the sleeve cuffs of mens and boys sack coats with the conventional cuff buttons and the resultant cuff construction. Such sack coat sleeve cuff construction is that which is normally used for suit coats, sport jackets, and the like and is characterized by a vent at the cuff, the ornamental cuff buttons being sewn to the top sleeve portion of the vent. More particularly, this invention relates to a method of sewing such buttons with the labor-saving and strength of machine operations.

The objective and advantage of this invention is that, by a machine operation, it provides, in a tailored readyto-wear suit, a fineness of detail and appearance which has heretofore been achieved only by a hand-tailored operation. Two major factors accounting for the difference in the price ranges of tailored clothing are (a) the number of hand operations involved, and (b) whether details appear to have resulted from expert hand tailoring or have the appearance of machine operations. Even in seemingly minor details, such as sewing buttons on sleeve cuffs, the cost difference between hand tailoring and machine operations can amount to a difference of many thousands of dollars in annual manufacturing costs, on the one hand, while the appearance of machine sewn details, on the other hand, may require the clothing to be priced at ranges lower than those at which the clothing would otherwise be accepted by buyers for retailing organizations.

In the sewing of cuff buttons on sack suit sleeves by expert hand tailors, the sleeve is first completed by sewing the lining in the shell and finishing it in other details, including pressing of the seams. Thereafter, the cuff buttons are sewn to the flap of the vent provided by the top sleeve; this is done by hand stitching which goes only through the shell and does not show in the lining. Such hand procedure not only conceals the button stitching, but leaves the lower end of the lining, except as it is closed by the inner end seam to the sleeve shell, free to shift in the shell without puckering either the lining or the shell.

Heretofore, two procedures have been employed in "ice in the sleeve and tacking the lining to the shell adjacent the closing seam.

A less common but previously employed machine operation for intermediate and high price-range suits has been to sew the buttons to the sleeve shell with the buttonsewing machine before inserting and closing the lining. This procedure conceals the understitching and leaves the lining free, as in the hand-sewn procedure, but the presence of the buttons on the shell interferes with and slows down the subsequent operations of insterting and closing the lining and finishing. In pressing during the finishing operation, great care must be exercised to avoid damaging the vent by pressing the buttons into it or breaking the buttons, in which case the cuff is repaired by the time-consuming operation of sewing on a replacement button, usually by hand.

By this invention, the cuff buttons are machine sewed after finishing the sleeve, but the understitching does not show through the sleeve lining and the lining is free above the closing seam, as in hand sewn operations; it provides a tailoring detail simulating that of hand-tailored sack coats but at a production cost no greater than that of the heretofore most inexpensive machine operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification, claims, and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view looking toward the top sleeve portion of the slightly opened end of a (righthand) sack coat sleeve, finished as to all details except sewing on the buttons;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sleeve end shown in FIG. 1, but looking toward the bottom sleeve portion and showing the vent pulled open;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of the opened vent as shown in FIG. 2, and showing the location of the buttons (in dotted lines) and the understitching of the sewn buttons;

FIG. 4 is a detail of the sleeve vent as shown in FIG. 1 and also showing the sewn buttons.

The shell 10 of the sleeve end shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of the top sleeve 11 and the bottom sleeve 12 which have been sewn together by an inner sea-m 13 and outer seam 14; the latter ends with a transverse hidden seam 15 which closes the upper end of the vent 16 whose inner side is closed by the hidden seam 17. The seam 17 extends from the seam 15 to a strong tack 18 located beyond the upper edges of the inturned cuffs of the top and bottom sleeves, the cuff 19 of the top sleeve 11 being shown. The portions of the cuffs of the top and bottom sleeves extend ing beyond the tack 18 are free to move with respect to each other, as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. In the finished and pressed sleeve as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (except for the cuff buttons) the sleeve lining 20 has also been inserted, tacked in the area of the elbow to the outer seam 14, and closed by the hidden end seam 21. In better tailoring an inner lining, not shown, is usually sewn in the cuff portions and behind the inturned portions of the shell forming the vent.

Finished sleeves to which cuff buttons are to be applied according to this invention are of the above-described sack coat construction, the only departure, if any, being in the lowest price coats, where the cutting patterns should allow for sufficient material to provide a width and depth of vent sufiicient for the button stitching and allow for the seam 17.

To sew the buttons on an otherwise finished sleeve as above described, the vent is fully opened, as indicated in FIG. 3, to expose the cuffed back of the top sleeve and the portion of the bottom sleeve normally inturned to form the vent. These normally unexposed portions of the vent are then placed in contact with the bedplate, or more specifically, with the slide over the bobbin cage of the button-sewing machine so that the foot of the machine can be placed on the portion of the top sleeve normally constituting the vent flap. The buttons 31, 32, and 33 are then successively located and sewn onto the flap, the understitching 41, 42, and 43 extendin through only the flap and being exposed only when the flap is opened. The operation in no way disturbs the otherwise final finishing of the sleeves, the button stitching is not visible upon inspecting the lining, and the lining at the cuff portion of the sleeve is free from the shell except as secured by the closing seam 21.

It is to be understood that the operation for sewing the buttons on the vents of left hand sleeves is identical with that shown and described for a right hand sleeve and that this invention is defined and limited by the appended claims and not from the above specification disclosing to those skilled in the art a preferred manner of carrying out the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of machine sewing a cuff button on the vent of a sack coat style of sleeve comprising the steps of inserting and closing a lining in said sleeve, opening the vent of the sleeve to expose the inner surface of the portion of the top sleeve constituting the flap of the vent, placing the opened vent so that only its flap is in the portion of a button-sewing machine adapted to engage material upon which a button can be sewn, locating a cuff button on the normally outer surface of the flap and sewing it thereto by the machine, removing the sleeve from the machine and allowing the vent to close, whereby the understitching of the button is visible only when the vent is opened and invisible upon inspecting the lining of the sleeve, and the lining is not attached to the shell of the sleeve by the stitching of the button.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the sleeve is other- Wise finished before attaching the cuff button.

3. The method of claim 1 in which successive buttons are sewn to the flap before removing the flap from the machine.

4. A sack coat sleeve comprising a shell comprised of a top and bottom sleeve having internal cufis joined by inner and outer longitudinal extending seams, a lining for said sleeve closed by an end seam attaching the lining to the cuff portions of the shell, and the portions of the top and bottom sleeve being joined by an inset seam, to provide a vent formed by a flap portion of the top sleeve extending over an internal section of the bottom sleeve, the construction in which successive cutt' buttons are sewn only to the said flap by stitching extending only through the normally unexposed under surface of the flap, whereby the button stitching is not visible upon inspecting the sleeve lining and the sleeve lining is not attached to the shell by such stitching.

5. The method of claim 2 in which successive buttons are sewn to the fiap before removing the flap from the machine.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,739,797 12/1929 Maronna 293 RICHARD J. SCANLAN, JR., Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 ,394 ,407 July 30 1968 Benjamin Brownstein It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, line 5, "Jofe Corp." should read The Joseph G Feiss Company Signed and sealed this 13th day of January I970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, J r.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. 

